Hurting Families

Ok, I am venting here just a bit. I was absolutely livid today when I was informed that my place of employment would be getting a few more children to protect and care for in the next couple of days. IT'S CHRISTMAS, WHY CAN'T PEOPLE STOP BEING SO SELFISH AND ABUSIVE OR NEGLECTFUL AND TAKE CARE OF THEIR KIDS THE RIGHT WAY SO WE DON'T HAVE TO STEP IN AND DO IT FOR THEM. Oh that's right, back to my senses now, it's because of SIN.
The majority of kids I have the opportunity and yes, privilege to work with come to us from abusive OR neglectful homes. The cases all bother me and give me lots to pray for each night at work. But the ones that cut deepest are the real young ones. The ones where there is still that sense of innocence and wonder about them. And around these big holidays especially, it is so much harder. People that treat kids in such ways make me furious!!!!

I could go on much more but just lets just leave it at a reminder to please pray for these kids who are away from their families of origin. Some will act out in bitterness and anger, other stay real quiet and you don't know what they're thinking or feeling. The need the comfort and peace that only God can give them even if they don't yet personally have a relationship with Him.

Pray for their families that have been turned upside down that they will want to change and do whatever it takes to get their kids back AND provide them with a safe, loving, happy home.

Lastly, please pray for us in child care. In my particular department we are working together in the role of very temporary parents/big brothers and sisters. On the lighter way of looking at it, we are similar to sleep-away camp counselors who provided temporary 24-7 care to our kids. We are providing these kids with examples of how adults are SUPPOSED to treat them and each other in a great variety of situations. Teaching life-skills to kids who are with us for anywhere from a few hours to 3 months is a tall order for each of us because each day can seem like we're back a square 1. but we night staff have it fairly easy. Pray for the day staff more because it's they who have the most time with the kids and have the most impact on them....that's a lot of pressure and they need all the support they can get.

Some kids can look back at a Christmas when they were taken from their families or origin and hate the whole season out of anger and bitterness. These need our prayer the most.

But there are some that can actually look back and say it was one of their favorite Christmas's because it was at that point when healing began in their family. it was at that point when their own lives began to get better and their families heeded the wake up call and began to work hard to heal and grow to become what a family should be.

Family - safe, loving, protective, teaching, comforting, encouraging, uplifting, admonishing, rebuking, correcting, growing,........together.